Inverser switch



H. S. TlCE, JR

INVERSER SWITCH Feb. 19, 1963 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Feb. 29. 1960 &

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INVENTOR. HARRY S. T\CE ,JR.

AT-roRNaY i nited This invention relates to an improved timer forwashing mac tines or washerryer combinations, and particularly to aswitch arrangement for controlling the direction of rotation of thesedevices.

This application is directed primarily to horizontal type washers, whereinterval timers are used to periodically reverse the direction ofrotation of the drive motor for the washer during specific intervals inthe program cycle. In washers of tln's type, continued rotation of thewasher in one direct-ion is thought to produce twisting in the clothes,and by periodically reversing the direction of rotation of the washer,tendency of the clothes to become twisted will be reduced. Reversal atthe end of each basic time interval is not considered satisfactorybecause the duration of the intervals is too long. To producesatisfactory results, reversal must occur periodically at intervals of aduration less than provided in the basic timer.

The primary object of the present invention is to provide a switchingmechanism which can be used to periodically reverse the direction ofrotation of a washer independently of the interval timer.

Another object is to provide a reversing switch mechanism which can beeasily integrated into: an interval timer.

A further object is to provide a switch mechanism for a washer motorwhich can be readily adapted to washers already on the market.

A further object is to provide a switching mechanism which is simple inconstruction and operation, resulting in substantial manufacturingeconomies.

Other objects and advantages will be pointed out in, or be apparent fromthe specification and claims, as will obvious modifications of the twoembodiments shown in the drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a plane view of the switch mechanism with the cover removed.

2 is taken on line 22 of FIG. 1 showing the cam and slider arrangement.

FIG. 3 is taken on line 3-3 of FIG. 2 showing a partial section of theslider-switch arrangement.

FIG. 4 is a partial view of the slider-switch-ca1n arrangenrent.

FIG. 5 is a circuit diagram for an independent switching arrangement.

FIG. 6 is a side elevation of a timer with the switch mechanismincorporated in the ratchet drive.

FIG. 7 is taken on line 7--7 of FIG. 6, showing the switch arrangement.

PKG. 8 shows a circuit diagram for a drive motor.

As seen in the drawings, the switching mechanism includes a base plateit? which carries a number of single pole double throw switches 12, 14and M enclosed within cover 11. The switches are biased into engagementwith one set of contacts and are moved into engagement with a second setof contacts by slider 18. The bias of the switches is used to hold theslider in position for cam foltates Fates-rt Patented Feb. lb, 1933lower 26} to follow the peripheral cam surface of cam 22 mounted onmotor shaft 24 and driven by timing motor 26.

The slider is positioned to slide on the surface of the base plate andis provided with arms 27, 27 having dimples 23 riding on the surface ofthe base to stabilize the movement of the slider to reduce the frictionbetween the slider and the plate. The slider is limited to linear motionby boss 31; and U shaped bracket 34, which engage slot 32 and motorshaft 24, respectively. The blades A, B and C of the switches are leafsprings secured to fixed terminals 36, 33 and iii and biased upwardly toengage contacts 32, 44 and 45. The blades engage actuators d3, Si and52, biasing the slider in an upper position as seen in FIGS. 1 and 3,and also holding the slider against the face of the plate. Cam follower20 (comprising an extension of actuator 5%) is shown opposite camsurface 54, but does not engage this surface, so that the bladespositively engage the contacts, thus insuring adequate contact pressure.On clockwise rotation of the cam, the cam fol-lower will ride up camsurface 56, moving the slider downward with the blades moved to aneutral or open position between the contacts. The cam follower willthen ride up on cam surface 5% with the slider moving the blades intoengagement with lower contacts 4 62 and o l. Continued rotation willreverse the cycle. The switch actuators on the slider can be designed sothat actuator 48 opens switch 16 before switches l2 and 14 are opened,and closes switch in after switches 12 and 14 are closed as required incertain induction motor circuits. The cam is designed to allow thecontacts to be closed for twelve seconds, and retained in a neutralposition for three seconds for a timing speed of one rpm. The camsurface can be cut to provide any cycle required for a particulardevice.

The device described above may control the direction of rotation of thedrive motor by merely connecting the switches in the drive motor circuitas indicated in H6. 5. Terminals 66 and 63 are connected across the lineL1, L2 and the start winding is connected to terminals it? and '72. Thetimer motor is connected in parallel with the start winding as shown,and the run winding is connected across terminals 36 and The blades aremoved from one set of contacts to the other to reverse the direction ofcurrent flow through the star winding. A three second delay is providedin the cam to allow the drive motor to slow down before the current isreversed, to prevent an excessive surge current from being applied tothe switch contacts, and so any centrifugally operated switches mayreset.

It should be obvious that the time required to fabricate this device isreduced to a minimum because the slider requires no special assemblingprocedure, but is merely placed in position on the end plate andretained there by the switch blades.

In integrating this reversing switch arrangement into a washer orwasher-dryer combination, it is only necessary to connect the reversingswitches into the program switch circuit for the washer drive motor, sothat the reversing switches are only operative when the program switchis active and can be by-passed when reversing is not desired. Thesimplicity of this circuit connection makes the reversing switch devicereadily adaptable to washers and washerdryers now on the market.

in F168. 6, "l and 8, the switch mechanism is integrated into a basicinterval timer having a pair of terminal boards 89 and 62, which carryprogram switches generally designated at 34. The terminal boards arecarried between end plates 86, 83 and the switches are provided with camfollowers (actually switch blades) which act on cams 9% carried on arborThe arbor is journaled in the end plates for rotation and carries driveratchet 94 which is adapted to receive impulses from the timer motor 96through drive mechanism 98. The timer motor drives motor shaft lttt), onwhich molded disc 132 is secured for rotation. Stepping cam M4 issecured to one side of the disc, and is used as is customary, to buildup energy in the drive mechanism, and at its drop permits a rapiddelivery of the energy through the drive mechanism to the arbor. Lever106 is pivoted on post 108 and biased by spring 110 to force follower112 into engagement with the stepping cam. Verge 114 is pivoted on thelever and is biased by spring 116 into engagement with drive ratchet 94.As cam 104 rotates, the lever will rotate clockwise against the bias ofspring 110, moving the verge to the next tooth on the drive ratchet.When the follower reaches the drop portion of the cam, the lever willrotate rapidly counterclockwise, forcing the verge against the driveratchet to advance the arbor one step. Pawl 128 is pivoted on the endplate and biased by spring 129 into engagement with the drive ratchet toprevent reverse rotation of the arbor when the verge is being advancedto the next tooth on the drive ratchet.

The reversing switch mechanism is incorporated in housing 120 with cam122 secured to the back of disc 102 and engaged by cam follower 123 onslider 124, which is positioned to slide on housing 126. Switchactuators 128, 130 and 132 engage switch blades A, B and C on switches13 i, 136 and 138, which are biased into engagement with contacts 140,142 and 144 and hold the slider in position for the cam follower to rideon the periphery of cam 122. On rotation of the cam, the slider willmove the blades into engagement with contacts 142, 146 and 143. Thisstructure is similar to and operates the same as that described above.

The switch mechanism is connected into the circuit for the drive motorfor the washer as shown in FIG. 8. Program switches 83, 85 and 87 areused to by-pass switches 134, 136 and 138 where unidirectional rotationis required during either the spin cycle or the drying cycle. In theseinstances, it is important to have the direction of rotation of thedrive motor, as controlled by the switching mechanism, synchronized withthe program switches, so that the drive motor is not rotating in onedirection when the program switches call for another direction,producing an excessive torque on the drive motor. This can beaccomplished when cams 16dand 122 are secured to disc 102 by aligningthe drop portion of cam 104 with the cam surface on cam 122, whichprovides the same direction of rotation as controlled by the programswitches.

This structure utilizes a single timer motor to operate both theinterval timer and the switching mechanism with a relatively smallincrease in load on the timer. It is also possible to synchronize theprogram switches with the reversing switch mechanism to eliminate theproduction of excessive torque in the drive motor due to suddenreversals in the direction of rotation.

Although but two embodiments of the present invention have been shownand described, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art thatchanges and modifications may be made therein without departing from thespirit of the invention or from the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A switch device comprising, a motor, a cam driven by the motor, a camfollower confined to reciprocal motion in a plane parallel to the planeor the cam, switch means of the single blade double throw type, theblade of said switch means acting on the follower to bias the followerinto engagement with the peripheral edge of the cam, said blade beingactuated by the reciprocal motion of the follower, the cam being formedto hold the blades in one operative position or the other operativeposition and to delay the movement of the blade from one position to theother for a predetermined period of time.

2. A device according to claim 1 wherein the cam follower includes meansfor limiting the movement of the cam follower to linear motion.

3. A device according to claim 2 including a base on which the camfollower linearly reciprocates, the blade acting to retain the followeron the base.

4. The combination with a washing machine having a .drive motor and atimer of the type having-a cam bank driven through a drive mechanism bya timing motor in a step-by-step manner with the cam bank operatingfunction switches according to a prescribed sequence, said drive motorbeing connected in circuit with certain of said function switches, forrotation in one direction when the circuit is closed, of means forcontrolling the direction of rotation of the drive motor comprising,reversing switch means connected in circuit with the drive motor, meansfor energizing the circuit including the reversing switches and thedrive motor when said circuit through the function switches and thedrive motor is open, drive means for actuating the switch meansincluding a cam rotated by the drive means and a follower limited tolinear motion in a plane parallel to the plane of the cam, said switchmeans biasing the follower into engagement with the peripheral edge ofthe cam so that the linear motion of the cam actuates the switches in apredetermined sequence to periodically reverse the direction of currentflow and hence rotation of the drive motor. 5. The combination with awashing machine having a drive motor and a timer of the type having acam bank driven through a drive mechanism by a timing motor in astep-by-step manner with the cam bank operating function switchesaccording to a prescribed sequence, said drive motor being connected incircuit with certain of said function switches for rotation in onedirection when the circuit is closed, of means for controlling thedirection of rotation of the drive motor comprising, reversing switchmeans connected in the circuit for the drive motor, means for engagingthe circuit including the reversing switches and the drive motor whensaid circuit through the function switches and the drive motor is open,a motor means, a cam rotated by the motor means, slider means confinedto reciprocal motion, said switch means biasing the slider means intoengagement with the cam, said switch means being actuated by thereciprocal motion of the slider means to periodically reverse thedirection of current flow and hence rotation of the drive motor.

6. The combination according to claim 5 wherein the cam is formed tohold the reversing switch means in a neutral position with the circuitincluding the reversing switch means and the drive motor open to allowthe drive motor to slow down before the current to the drive motor isreversed.

7. The combination with a sequence timer of the type having a pluralityof function controlling switches operated by a cam bank driven at timingspeed by a motor through a drive mechanism including a member rotatingat a speed greater than timing speed, the timing speed of the cam bankcausing sequential operation of the switches at predetermined intervals,of means for providing additional functions during said intervalscomprising, a cam rotating with said member at a speed greater thantiming speed, slider means confined to reciprocal motion, switch meansincluding single blade double throw switches, the blades of the switchmeans biasing the slider into engagement with the cam so the sliderreciprocates on rotation of the cam, said switch means being actuated bythe motion of the slider, and circuit means connecting the reversingmeans with the function switches to increase the functions availableduring each interval of the timer.

8. The combination according to claim 7 including a base on which theslider reciprocates, the blades acting to retain the slider in positionon the base for actuation by the cam.

9. The combination acconding to claim 8 wherein the slider meansincludes means for limiting its movement 10 to linear motion.

6 10. The combination according to claim 9 wherein the cam is providedwith a three level cam periphery so that the switch means is cyclicallymoved from one position to another with a predetermined time delay inthe move ment between positions.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS

1. A SWITCH DEVICE COMPRISING, A MOTOR, A CAM DRIVEN BY THE MOTOR, A CAMFOLLOWER CONFINED TO RECIPROCAL MOTION IN A PLANE PARALLEL TO THE PLANEOF THE CAM, SWITCH MEANS OF THE SINGLE BLADE DOUBLE THROW TYPE, THEBLADE OF SAID SWITCH MEANS ACTING ON THE FOLLOWER TO BIAS THE FOLLOWERINTO ENGAGEMENT WITH THE PERIPHERAL EDGE OF THE CAM, SAID BLADE BEINGACTUATED BY THE RECIPROCAL MOTION OF THE FOLLOWER, THE CAM BEING FORMEDTO HOLD THE BLADES IN ONE OPERATIVE POSITION OR THE OTHER OPERATIVEPOSITION AND TO DELAY THE MOVEMENT OF THE BLADE FROM ONE POSITION TO THEOTHER FOR A PREDETERMINED PERIOD OF TIME.